Not just for new devices, but you need to replace your old cellphone ?

That's just bad.

Since I'm not in the USA this doesn't affect me, but if it's introduced in the USA the rest of the 'developed' world will soon follow.

Having said that, there are plans to censor the entire European 'internet'.

We're way, way past 1984.

Are people working to set up their own global network, with no involvement of corporations or the government ?
That would make sense.
Yes, we have TOR. But it's not if that can't be killed. We already have a kill-switch, don't we ?

I remember the time we had BBSs. 'They' have incorporated new technologies like radio, tv, movies and put it under government control.
The internet is next ?

As one respondent to the story put it, “Surely you only need a database of all phone numbers to send out text messages. Am I only person wondering why all handsets need to be fitted with “special chips” in order to receive text messages? The “special chips” can only be being introduced to serve other purposes.”

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WOW! Back to CB's.
Breaker, Breaker Good Buddy! What's your Ten-Twenty and the ETA on the Lot Lizard?

The One World Government is coming and will only get worse than it already is, this is the baby steps a.k.a. terrible 2's.
ay Dios mio!

How about putting the tin foil away for a bit guys. As this is proposed, it will still be a bit before you see this in any phone (if legit) and once on a phone, how long do you think it will be before an interested hacker gets their hands on one and tears it down to see what it really does as well as to circumvent it outright should it present any real world issues other than working as a form of the emergency alert system we all used to love on Fridays when there were only three national stations?

Calm down and keep an eye on it is all I am saying. From reading some of the other articles and regular member commentary on that site, there is a bit of creative license going on with regards to interpretations so keep digging and see what really comes out in the wash rather than jumping to conclusions that are mere speculation at this point...

When it rains I keep dry, when it is hot and sunny I get baked! Darn governments are controlling our weather and baking us tin foil hat users. Not sure what this means as I can't remember, but am sure they are directing radio waves into the gaps between the tinfoil and slow baking my head with ideas that I have to believe are true......

The real problem is not installing the chips themselves, because there is a way around any kind of technology . The issue here is that a government (any government) decides to do this kind of things and almost nobody cares or even take notice... This kind of attitude shows the people in power that they can do exactly what they please and there will be no consequences.

The real problem is not installing the chips themselves, because there is a way around any kind of technology . The issue here is that a government (any government) decides to do this kind of things and almost nobody cares or even take notice... This kind of attitude shows the people in power that they can do exactly what they please and there will be no consequences.

The real problem is not installing the chips themselves, because there is a way around any kind of technology . The issue here is that a government (any government) decides to do this kind of things and almost nobody cares or even take notice... This kind of attitude shows the people in power that they can do exactly what they please and there will be no consequences.

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I am not arguing for anyone to ignore the possibilities and potential abuse of any new tech; what I AM discussing is that there might be some very legitimate and proper uses of a non-provider controlled system that will be able to broadcast information to anyone with a cell phone should there be need to activate the National, or even local, Emergency Alert System.

IFO would not mind having a call interrupted to get a message about a Tornado moving in my direction and/or an announcement from the President regarding an approaching asteroid (exaggeration maybe, but...).

Be skeptical, but also be cautious in your conclusions until more is known about the overall capabilities and then make loud noises with proof if there is an abuse of the tech.

The real problem is not installing the chips themselves, because there is a way around any kind of technology . The issue here is that a government (any government) decides to do this kind of things and almost nobody cares or even take notice... This kind of attitude shows the people in power that they can do exactly what they please and there will be no consequences.

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No one takes notice because things like this don't get covered on mainstream news. In spite of all the news available on the web, the majority get their news from the TV, with all the controversial items filtered out. Most are "too busy" or too lazy to search out the real news for themselves. Most don't (or choose not to) believe that network news is censored. At my workplace for instance (a typical small factory) most are completely unaware of the "other side" of the bigger news stories, the Wikileaks story and the wars being prime examples. Most are (and I might as well use the correct term) programmed to believe what the network anchorman says and don't want to trust news from non-conventional sources. They don't accept that news from within our country is biased. Until that changes (and I doubt it ever will) government and big money will be able to do as they please, because the majority of its citizens are little more than brainwashed sheep.

Be skeptical, but also be cautious in your conclusions until more is known about the overall capabilities and then make loud noises with proof if there is an abuse of the tech.

JMHO
Mike

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Actually, I'd prefer to make noises before there is a demonstrated abuse of the tech. These are consumer products, and feedback is essential. The fact that the government-issued message supersedes all other messages, is worthy as a small textbook diversion in Signals 101, wouldn't you think?

Conspiracy theories... It is interesting that the name of the president "Obama" was mentioned 10 times in the article.

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That evades the issue. While editorializing comes standard at the linked site, the news clip is from the AP. The plan is called the Personal Localized Alert System, and FCC Commissioner Genachowski held a press conference at Ground Zero to announce it. And unlike the emergency broadcast system, billboard amber alerts, or televised crawls, this message system is implanted in our primary communication devices, and supersedes any other message. Under what circumstances, exactly? For how long? Would you like tea with your jam?

“Presidential and local emergency messages as well as Amber Alerts would appear on cell phones equipped with special chips and software,”

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The rest basically boils down to "BUT IMAGINE WHAT ELSE WILL HAPPEN!" which is silly. This is literally just an emergency broadcast system but it goes to a device that people actually use.

Saying this is going to turn into some crazy government whatever is ridiculous. Did that happen with TV's? No. Did we see random American propaganda via the network? Absolutely not. Will we see it on our phones? I'd bet we won't.

The real problem is not installing the chips themselves, because there is a way around any kind of technology . The issue here is that a government (any government) decides to do this kind of things and almost nobody cares or even take notice... This kind of attitude shows the people in power that they can do exactly what they please and there will be no consequences

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No, the real problem is that media outlets like the one in the first post exist. It's literally telling you what to believe and it is 100% baseless. Nothing in that article so much as points to an anecdotal historical event where the government has abused these emergency broadcast systems. Why? Because they don't exist.

I won't even get into the fact that this is on Alex Jones's website. Hardly reliable for an unbias opinion. Let's not even discuss that.

Saying this is going to turn into some crazy government whatever is ridiculous. Did that happen with TV's? No. Did we see random American propaganda via the network? Absolutely not. Will we see it on our phones? I'd bet we won't.

No, the real problem is that media outlets like the one in the first post exist. It's literally telling you what to believe and it is 100% baseless. Nothing in that article so much as points to an anecdotal historical event where the government has abused these emergency broadcast systems. Why? Because they don't exist.

I won't even get into the fact that this is on Alex Jones's website. Hardly reliable for an unbias opinion. Let's not even discuss that.

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Forget Alex Jones. We're talking about communications and signals, and the implementation of a message system that's akin to the Emergency Alert System. As such, there are broad, vital political, legal, and technical considerations. Consider, for instance, difficulties with the Emergency Broadcast System:

Despite these safeguards, the system was inadvertently activated at 9:33 AM EST on February 20, 1971. Teletype operator W. S. Eberhardt accidentally "played the wrong tape" during a test of the system. As a result, an EBS activation message authenticated with the codeword "hatefulness" was sent through the entire system, ordering stations to cease regular programming and broadcast the alert of a national emergency. A cancellation message was sent at 9:59 AM EST; however, it used the same codeword again. A cancellation message with the correct codeword, "impish," was not sent until 10:13 AM EST.

This false alarm demonstrated major flaws in the EBS. Many stations had not received the alert, but more importantly, the vast majority of those that did ignored it, or did not know what to do during an emergency. While several stations went off the air, the one best remembered was WSNS-TV (Ch 44) in Chicago, which broadcast the 1971 events as they happened, a rare recording of which has become available from WOWO.

Numerous investigations were launched, and several changes were made to the EBS. Among them, the on-air alert announcement was streamlined, eliminating one version of the script that warned the audience of an imminent attack against the country.

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Any emergency alert system that would effectively jam the message capability of a personal communications device, upon order of a federal, state, or local government authority, would need some stringent guidelines and safeguards. I'd like to know what they are, in the instant case.

That was the 70's... I'm sure the system has been streamlined quite a bit since then. Every system has slip ups and human error accounts for a lot of it. I don't see why this is a big deal at all when it has such potential usefulness.

That was the 70's... I'm sure the system has been streamlined quite a bit since then. Every system has slip ups and human error accounts for a lot of it. I don't see why this is a big deal at all when it has such potential usefulness.

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You're kidding me, right? Billions upon billions spent on security since 9/11, and ho hum the 70's and human error in regard to a national alert system? I can't imagine anything less helpful for my personal security than a cellphone that I can't fully utilize during an actual emergency. What about the Emergency Landline Broadcast? Would you be ok with that, if your only access to communication was a landline? Messages of an indeterminate length would block your phone during times of local, state, and national crisis.

How often are you expecting these messages to be? If, let's say, there's a tsunami about to hit NYC (where I live) and I can't call my pal to meet up because my cellphone keeps repeating "Hey you should get indoors" I'm ok with that.

I don't even remember ever seeing a broadcasted message on TV except for those bars that go on the bottom and scroll over your program. And those were during hurricane watch periods.